NBC News is reporting that the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a longtime civil rights activist, Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate, died Tuesday at age 84, his family said.
Jackson, a prominent national figure for decades, was a close associate of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, advocating for social justice, economic equality and voting rights. He sought the Democratic nomination for president in 1984 and 1988, breaking barriers and expanding political participation for Black Americans and other marginalized communities.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
A cause of death was not immediately given. His family said he died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones.
Born Oct. 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson rose to national prominence during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. He worked closely with King and was present in Memphis in April 1968 when King was shot.
In the years that followed, Jackson became known for his advocacy on issues ranging from racial equality and workers’ rights to education and international diplomacy. Through Operation PUSH and later the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he organized voter registration drives, corporate accountability campaigns and economic empowerment initiatives.
Jackson’s presidential campaigns in the 1980s energized a broad coalition of voters and helped pave the way for future generations of candidates of color. Though he did not secure the nomination, his campaigns reshaped Democratic Party politics and expanded its base.
Tributes from political leaders and civil rights advocates across the country were expected as news of his death spread.